The Advice We Give Kids About Success Prevents Them From Being Happy

“It’s certainly good for children to have goals they’re working toward. But instead of always encouraging them to focus on what’s next on their to-do list, help them stay focused on the task or conversation at hand.”

It turns out most of the ways parents teach their kids to be successful fly directly in the face of what it takes for kids to be happy.

Quartz details how a happiness researcher found six types of success advice that prevent kids from being happy including that telling kids to focus on the future instead of live in the moment, telling them stress is inevitable instead of helping them learn to relax, and teaching them to play to their strengths instead of allowing them to learn how to fail.

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